Essentially Together
by Dzuljeta
Summary: An unexpected incident brings Martha and Donna back aboard the TARDIS. Before the Doctor starts investigating the cause of this and tries to calm down his frustrated companions, he realises Rose has been brought back as well... This is when things start getting awkward. Ten/Rose (The rating goes up to M, because it can.)
1. The Adventure

_A/N. I'm awfully sorry for the delay with all of my other fics. None of them is forgotten and will be returned to eventually. _Star_ will likely be the first one among those, because I have had its following chapter half-written for quite a while now…) But I felt _this_ one had to be written down before my tricky muse has changed her mind. :P A reunion fic, clearly. Have fun! Don't forget to let me know what you think :)_

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><p><strong>Essentially Together<strong>

**Chapter One**

**The Adventure**

That night has happened to be unusually hot. The stale air in Rose's old room at Jackie's felt nearly unbearable, even with the windows in her room wide open.

It was not that much about the heat or the subsequent difficulty to concentrate on anything. Rose believed having chosen to spend time with Mum – at least until the heat subsided - was going to make things easier to bear for both of them, as even her current working place has closed down temporarily because of the unusual weather conditions.

Few people had expected the uncommonly high temperature to have had such a drastic effect on the majority of technical devices. Jackie Tyler's microwave oven happened to be one of these. It took a good half an hour for Rose to calm her mother down.

"I do distinctly remember this very microwave had been upgraded by your precious-"

"Shut up, Mum. It's not the Doctor's fault you have very likely mixed up the settings again. The blue button slows down the warming-up, not-" her voice broke, and the younger Tyler closed her eyes, remembering.

She had seen the entire process. Had been watching the Doctor's clever fingers upgrade the device in ways only he knew how to... Discussing the settings Mum would have enjoyed to have installed had been no less interesting. Talking him off the off-worldly things he suggested most of the time. Smirking at each other. Flirting. Laughing.

Jackie could see much more than her daughter would admit. She had touched upon the forbidden subject and was ready to face the consequences. Anything for her girl. "Do you need to talk, love?" her mum's words have forced the girl to open her eyes. "I could make us a nice evening cuppa-"

Rose tensed. She was not ready for any kind of an emotional talk. The last time she's tried it ended in tears. "Thanks, Mum. I'd rather go to bed early tonight."

"Sure, my dear. See you in the morning?"

The daughter smiled at Jackie Tyler, but her eyes were sad. She left for her stuffy bedroom with a shrug. A heavy sigh followed as Rose closed the door behind her. Not knowing where the gloomy mood was coming from, she began undressing quietly.

Rose swore under her breath, choosing to forgo wearing anything more than her lacy pinkish knickers to bed, even if it was unlikely having taken this measure would prevent her from waking up covered in sweat. Needless to say daily cold showers, sometimes several in a day, had become a necessity. This whole week was almost intolerable. _Some_ heat and sunshine was fine for everyone, but not when the temperature stayed above forty degrees Celsius both day and night, both inside and outside. In _England_, of all places! Not in some of the planets she- _they_ had visited…

Rose gulped, inhaling deeply. Thinking about the Doctor still stung. But it just so happened she _could_ _not_ stop thinking about him. Did not want to.

Right now, however, she'd have given anything to be able to fall asleep. _Who the hell falls asleep at eight in the evening? _She giggled bitterly. This could have been just about time for some party to start… Although who could have thought of celebrating _anything_ in such weather was beyond her. _The Doctor most certainly would._

She turned her eyes upwards in frustration. These thoughts were impossible to avoid. What was _he_ doing? With whom was he sharing his TARDIS now? Where in space… where in _time_ was he? Was the Doctor happy? Did he remember the one who had promised him _forever? _

The next thing she knew was the familiar, not-at-all-pleasant sensation of- of teleportation? Yes, of course it was. She knew the feeling.

_What?_

Rose's eyes were suddenly wide open, her mind only registering her surroundings half a second later. _Would seem ages for the Doctor._

_What._

"Bloody hell! What on-" She was on the TARDIS. That much was absolutely certain. The very ship she knew so well. "Hello, old girl," Rose muttered at the vessel, who has very distinctly emitted an amused sound. _Oh, fuck._ The fair-haired girl remembered the amount – the lack of -of clothes on her body.

_Bloody hell, indeed. _This was not the time to think of reasons why Rose was there. She needed to put something on, but there were no familiar doors in sight. The blonde was desperate. There was no way she would wander through the ship naked! _Almost. _"Help me, TARDIS? Please?" she almost growled in frustration at the cheeky sound the old girl gave her.

"Whatever have I done to you to deserve such a treatment?"

Silence.

Rose knew she could, probably should go look for her room… But her common sense kept stopping her. What if she met his new companion? Companions, maybe? This was really not the state anyone should see her in for the first time… _Anyone_ included the Doctor, but did she have much of a choice?

Under different circumstances, she'd have been in a blissful shock to have found herself on the TARDIS in the first place, but... The tension was unbearable. She _needed_ for the Doctor to appear as soon as possible. Whichever one he might be. Rose could only hope it was the Doctor she was familiar with.

Not wishing to lose her determination, Rose Marion Tyler chose to take the offensive. If anything, the TARDIS was on her side. _Sort of._

"Doctor! I am going to _kill_ you!"

The TARDIS _was_ on Rose's side. Her words were suddenly echoing everywhere. There was no chance for the Doctor to miss it.

He did _not_ miss it. Tensing, the Doctor got up. "I will be back soon. Chat about something."

Both Martha and Donna eyed each other curiously. "Hadn't the voice threatened to kill you?"

"Oh, no, no! This is the TARDIS. Nobody kills anyone aboard this ship. Never. No matter what they might say. Stay here."

"Right." The two women could only lead the Time Lord out with their eyes. "Not only does he tear me straight out of my medical exam and I find myself in here, but-"

"Calm down, Martha. He is a Time Lord." Donna was watching the girl with concern. Ruining everything was his primary talent, but so was fixing it!

"It's easy for you to talk." the dark-skinned companion glared at the ginger she had only met today.

"Oh, it is! Did you know I found myself on the TARDIS on my wedding day?"

"What? Really?"

"Yes. He had _just_ lost his lover, too. We were quite a combination that day. I can't help but wonder where his Rose is now."

"Rose… Of course. It's always her. Can't get away from her, can we?" Martha spoke quietly. "I'd like to meet her, even if I know it's not possible."

Donna shook her head sadly. "Even if it were, he'd only have eyes for her. Trust me on this. I have been in his room once. It's _full_ of photos of them together. They looked so happy."

"He had shown you _photos_ of her?" Martha was suddenly upset.

"Not really. Have eyes, don't I?" Donna Noble winked at her.

"Fine." The younger companion shrugged in resignation.

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><p>The Doctor could not hurry to the console room faster. <em>Why not Rose?<em> He had been asking both the TARDIS and himself, when the two of his female companions appeared on the ship one after the other, both dressed for the deepest winter. When asked, they'd told him this was how the weather was on Earth now…

Dealing with this _could_ wait.

"Rose?! Don't kill me, please, I-" The Doctor saw her then, in her all almost-naked glory. His eyes widened, but he turned away from her, startled. All right… he was intrigued, but this was not the point. His Rose, _naked_ on the TARDIS. _Why? How?_

The Time Lord found his tongue soon enough, his face and neck flushed, as he dared to look back at her. "Oh, heavens. Oh dear! I am so, _so_ sorry! I hope I did not interrupt-"

"You did."

"Er... I could try to bring you back to Pete's World-" No matter how much it would break his heart, he was ready for this final sacrifice._ No, not really._

"No." _Not in a million years._ Rose still had her arms wrapped around herself. It was both silly, scandalous and really uncomfortable.

"No." he echoed, hopeful.

"Talk later. Give me something to wear! The cheeky old girl wouldn't help. Can 't exactly risk being seen by your companions like this. They would think me your call-girl, or something!" She blushed furiously at the prospect.

"Oh, about that… Rose. I have no phone numbers of such people. Don't use phone much nowadays."

"So?"

"To tell you the truth, Rose Tyler… They most certainly _would _think you one," he agreed thoughtfully with a maddening smirk.

"This isn't funny! The fact my tits are bigger than your usual- never mind…" she bit her tongue.

"I _don't_ mind," he assured her, his voice calm.

"Anyway! It doesn't give you the right to-"

That was when they heard the two unexpected voices.

_Oh, crap!_ If Rose knew one thing… the adventure was just starting.

"You need to hide somewhere! Quick! See that closet?"

The pink and yellow human stared at him. "Oh, no. There's _no_ way!"

"A call-girl, then," he winked at her, meeting a glare, yet knowing he has won.

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><p><em>AN. Reviews do wonders! You know that, don't you? :) Hope to meet you in the second chapter of this story :)_


	2. Discoveries

_A/N. One review is better than none, right? Oh well, as you can see, I am not really a _no reviews = no updates _person. Even if barely receiving any attention on a newly posted story hardly helps. :( Anyway, I _can_ update as often as my muse strikes! ;)_

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><p><strong>Essentially Together<strong>

**Previously…**

"_You need to hide somewhere! Quick! See that closet?"_

_The pink and yellow human stared at him. "Oh, no. There's no way!"_

"_A call-girl, then," he winked at her, knowing he has won._

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

**Discoveries**

"You'd like that," she glared at him, but could not back away a smirk.

He smirked back at her, trying his best to keep his eyes on her face. "Maybe I would."

Rose gave him one of her best Tyler glares.

"On the other hand-" he pushed her inside and closed the door, nodding at the two women, a knowing smirk on his lips.

The truth was he intended to return to his pink and yellow human and provide her with suitable clothes as soon as possible, once he was free from the two other rambling companions. But the fact the Time Lord's incessant gob often got the better of him meant quite a different outcome.

Not once did he forget about Rose Tyler waiting for him just several doors away, no. Still, he was trying his best to seem at ease to the two companions… Some time later, his apparently flawlessly fabricated impression of nonchalance began to slip. Soon, the Tyler girl was _all_ he could think about. Particularly the barely-wearing-anything variation of her.

"What is it, Spaceman?" Donna asked him on the first break in his chatter longer than five seconds.

"What do you mean?" he knew just what the ginger had in mind.

"It's just… Have you eaten something?" Martha spoke uncertainly.

"Or _licked_ something?" the ginger eyed him with worry.

The Doctor only shrugged, every passing second now weighing upon him. "Er… I need to check some… important things."

Donna's voice was piercing through him. "No. You rest. I'll go check the important things for you."

"I mean _personal_ things."

"I don't care, Doctor. You don't look like yourself. Have some rest in silence... Say, fifteen minutes! I'm not asking for more of you."

_This incurable alien!_ The TARDIS could wait. _Martha_ could wait.

With a heavy sigh, he agreed. Saying _no_ to Donna Noble in this was a lost cause. "Fifteen minutes. Not a second more." Surely his brilliant Rose could wait for fifteen more minutes!

Rose was upset. This was it – he has left her dependent on him again, for he knew she would rather wait for him to return instead of risking meeting anybody else. The Doctor was _so_ going to pay for this. She made a stretch. Unexpectedly, this tiny space was_ not_ bigger on the inside. However, some of the thoughts on her wandering mind suggested this was only for the better… The fact all of them included the Doctor… Oh, well. She'd had more than two years of fighting these on the TARDIS alone. It could not hurt to have a dozen more.

She sat on the floor, hoping to not fall asleep until he returned.

Much, much later, after what must have been hours, the closet's door opened. Rose had _not _fallen asleep. Her renewed annoyance was back at once. How could he have left her mope in this place for this long? Alone?

"For heaven's sake, Doctor! Would it have hurt you to-" Rose was furious. Would she need to remind him- _Oh. Oh my God. _She blanched at the sight of her, then her face coloured deep pink, as she hurried to wrap her arms around herself.

"Ahem." An amused redhead was staring at her, incredulous. "Wow. This is… well… awkward. Hi."

She should have known the never-before-seen piece of overly-basic-looking furniture had something to do with the Doctor's untold secrets. _Personal things_, he'd said. This, however, was _much_ more.

Rose stared back, an apologetic almost-smile on her face, hands fixed on covering her chest. "Tell me about it."

All of a sudden, the ginger smiled at Rose sadly. "Does _he_ do this often to you? Leaves you in a closet, well, bare? Is this how he understands-" Donna was scandalised. Strange as the Spaceman might have been,_ this_ was beyond everything. This very blonde was the woman he_ loved_, for God's sake!

"Oh, no," Rose shook her head at the woman. A companion, very likely. "This is the first time. Still makes me want to kill him for leaving me here like this."

_This justifies it._

"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing. The Doctor does have this effect on the best of us. Should I call him?" Donna asked her kindly, conveniently ignoring her state of close-nakedness. These two lovebirds could do whatever, for all the fiery woman cared… The discomfort in Rose's features diminished visibly.

"Would be lovely if you reminded him I'm waiting here for him, all… unclad. Tell him I still need something to put on. Thank you." Not knowing the woman's name was only strengthening the blonde's uneasiness, but... "Where is he, anyway?"

"Chatting with Martha, I guess," Donna shrugged, then noticed her blank look. "Oh, I don't really know her yet either. She's one of his previous companions," she clarified, then understood the word was not fitting in the fair-haired companion's case. "Some time after you, though."

"Yeah?" Rose failed to succeed in feigning her indifference. "You know who I am, then?"

Donna could not back away an eye-roll. "You're still the main thing on his mind, _Rose_. You should have seen the expression on his face, after Martha and I appeared on the ship some time before you. Apparently, it was you he was secretly expecting to see in this inexplicable turn of events."

"I'm here now, though," she muttered, a small smile appearing on her face. "I'm sorry – your name is…"

"Donna."

The pink and yellow human nodded in acknowledgement. The fact this Donna did not once address her being dangerously underdressed was strangely relieving. "Sorry you had to meet me like this, I-"

The ginger rolled her eyes. "Having travelled with the Doctor, nothing disturbs me any more," she winked at Rose. "Not that sure about Martha… but then again, she was not expecting to be brought here, not minutes before her exam."

"Ouch. That's time travel for you," Rose grinned.

"If you don't mind me asking - is this a part of some plan? A planned surprise, perhaps?"

Rose grimaced. "I will surprise him all right with a slap he so rightfully deserves, if he doesn't have a reasonable excuse for- for- this. Martha, you said?"

"Yeah. I'll bring him to you right away! Try to keep from snogging him senseless before you have something on!" Donna winked at her and left.

Rose nodded absent-mindedly. Right. Did this mean another person should meet her like this?

Minutes later, she could hear their voices ringing in the console room. "Not amusing, Donna! Try to have some decency!"

This prude of a Time Lord… "It actually_ is_ very amusing, Doctor. I'm sure she would agree!"

_Oh, I'm sure she would. _The Doctor opened the closet hurriedly and eyed Rose apologetically. "Sorry for taking so long!" he tossed her a pink skirt, similar to the one she'd worn for a concert they'd failed to visit.

"Er… Doctor? Something to cover my breasts?" Rose flushed bright red.

The ginger rolled her eyes at him. "You can't have thought of it, can you, _Time Lord_." Donna nearly tore his pinstriped jacket off unashamedly. Care to share with your lady?" The more recent companion glared at him, putting the piece of clothing on Rose's shoulders. "Here. Somehow I no longer wonder about you wanting to slap him." The Doctor's eyes grew wide for a brief second, before he hurried to button the jacket on Rose – with his eyes closed tight.

The redhead sighed heavily. Whatever was the reason of her finding herself on board the TARDIS, having to become a relationship counsellor was not a part of her plans.

"Oi, there's no need for violence! If you're becoming like Jackie, I'd much prefer you _kissed _me," he licked his lips. Rose's eyes widened, as she responded seductively, her words barely audible. "Might do just that.

Donna rolled her eyes. "Slap him already!" She smirked. "Later."

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><p>The dark-skinned companion has only entered the scene after the main things were more or less settled between the two people who kept giggling like adolescents. Even if the looks they shared and the shy touches suggested something much more intense.<p>

"Right, you two, shoo! The kindergarten is the other way," Donna giggled. "Martha seems to have missed all the fun already."

Martha cleared her throat, disgusted, her voice just loud enough for Rose and the Doctor to hear. "I did not know he was keeping a prostitute handy," she grimaced. Rose bit her lip, stopping the Doctor from rushing in to stop his companion from making wrong conclusions. Last thing she needed was having the Doctor stutter with explanations. "A call-girl, hadn't you said?" the Tyler girl gave him an unnaturally wide grin.

"Wow. Martha. I did not know you were this quick in making conclusions," Donna glared at her.

"Who is she, if not a prostitute?" Martha was confused. "She's wearing only knickers and _his_ jacket. What am I to think? It's unlike the Doctor to ever-"

"Precisely!"

"The Doctor must have been eager to cover her breasts, so he's given her his jacket. What's there not to see?" Martha was feeling disillusioned. He was just like every other man.

Donna shook her head. "Not every man enjoys sharing." _Even when it comes to glances._

"See? A prostitute. Has he finally got over Rose?"

"What's up with you now, Martha?" the ginger was not certain about how much she could disclose. "It's as if you were his mother," she shrugged.

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><p>Rose took the Doctor's hand assuringly. It seemed he was more affected than she was. "Martha doesn't know what she's talking about. Happens to everyone, right?"<p>

The Doctor pulled her into a hug. "I-"

"I know," she hugged him just as tightly.

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><p>"If spending time with call-girls is what turns him on..."<p>

Donna pulled the other companion aside, her whisper piercing. "Do you even _realise_ what you're saying?"

"Yes, why? Isn't she-"

"Just- stop."

"All right! It's not that I'm going to openly ask him about this new_ liking_ of his, or anything."

"You'd better not."

"What does this have to do with you, anyway?"

"I am sorry... This is really a _very_ inappropriate thing to say about anyone," Rose spoke quietly, her hand in the Doctor's.

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><p><em>AN. I have nothing against Martha, but _she_ was the one having a crush on the Doctor. Sorry!_


	3. Confusion

_A/N. Thank you, everyone :3 Please, keep filling my e-mail inbox with these gorgeous notifications of new reviews, follows and (or) favourites! ;) They make me unbelievably happy :)_

_Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Essentially Together<strong>

**Previously…**

"_I am sorry… This is really a _very_ inappropriate thing to say about anyone," Rose spoke quietly, her hand in the Doctor's._

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

**Confusion**

If the dark-skinned companion were momentarily startled by the other woman's words, she did not show it. Martha's look remained fixed on their joined hands. She believed the gesture was only meant for people at least as close to the Doctor as she had been. Or at least exclusively to his travelling companions. But this mysterious young woman – must have been around her age, she guessed – why the Doctor would hold_ her_ hand was beyond Martha's comprehension. He could have chosen _anyone_, and yet…

"It probably is," the flustered companion agreed. "So?" she tried to make something out from the look in the blonde's eyes. However, it was completely unreadable. _Understandable, for a person of her profession_. Merely having to talk to h_er_ was making Martha want to turn away. The Doctor having someone like this blonde on board? Could his personality have changed so drastically since the time she had left?

Not that the Time Lord had ever been _truly_ open with her. Although she might have somewhat got used to it, having eventually taken such behaviour as a part of his nature, the tension in the room has increased to a level higher than ever before. They had not once spoken about things as intimate as this, either…

The Doctor, with his voice soft and almost unnaturally calm, has left Martha startled once again. "You, of all people, should know insulting people behind their backs is-"

"-unacceptable," Rose finished, her voice just as still. However, the Time Lord noticed, with some kind of relief, that the fair-haired young woman did not seem bothered in the slightest, shrugging, her lips pressed tightly together, but with her eyes sparkling. If this meant she had to become someone else for a bit – so be it!

"I did not mean to insult!" Martha stood on the defensive at once. It was very likely the Doctor had been talking and giving too much away, again, with a shadow of a smile appearing on the blonde's face whenever their eyes met.

The Time Lord was not prepared to take a part in the spectacle his dark-skinned companion had unintentionally started. But he was _always_ ready to defend Rose…

"You _have_ and you know it, Martha Jones! Since when does a Time Lord have to remind a human about something as simple as this?" he rolled his eyes at her.

Martha backed away a few steps, feeling unreasonably chastised. Fine, maybe she should have kept this to herself, considering the path in life she was determined to take. She knew doctors, _real _doctors were never allowed such fallacies.

"I'm... er...sorry?"

The Doctor peered at his mistaken companion intently. "For…"

The almost-doctor glared at him. Was this really necessary? "For insulting a call-girl? I shouldn't have, I get it." Martha was unpleasantly surprised to notice their hands were still connected. No longer wanting to know the reason of this, she brushed this small detail off.

"She is a young woman, just like you. There's no need to hurt her," Donna reminded them she was still in the room.

The blonde laughed lightly, looking at no-one but the Doctor. "Does it look like I am hurt?"

"No," the Time Lord smiled at her softly.

"Good," Rose muttered, her voice falling even quieter. "Have you come up with some story about me yet?"

His eyes widened. "Er…"

"Naturally, you haven't," the girl giggled good-naturedly. "Just play along, then."

The Time Lord nodded, as Rose bit her lower lip and winked at him, letting go of his hand.

Martha seemed to not have noticed the small episode, her mind working on finding various reasons why he would know such women. Even more so – invite this one on board! "Could you tell me her name, at least?"

The Doctor eyed both Rose and Martha searchingly. It went without saying everything depended on Rose now. This promised some kind of bickering – at least the Doctor knew whose side he was on. "_She_, as you so kindly put it, can answer herself."

The fair-haired companion shook her head. "You think? I'm sorry, Doctor. I can't talk openly to people who judge a person because of the way they earn for living…" Rose shrugged, hiding a smirk.

"Fair enough," his lips formed a smile.

"How am I to address you, then?" Martha eyed Rose in exasperation.

"Oh. 'That woman'? 'The call-girl?' 'The prostitute?' 'The blonde?' 'Almost-but-not-really a companion'? Rose rolled her eyes. "Anything not too offensive works, really. I'm not picky."

The Time Lord could see the way the Tyler girl was struggling to keep a straight face.

"_I_ am," the Doctor glared at Martha. "My choices in life, hers even more so, are none of your business. Or should I blame it on your pre-exam stress?"

Rose stopped the alien, grabbing his hand again. "Leave her alone. We have _better_ things to do, you and I," she said way too loudly for the two other women not to hear.

"Yes?" he eyed her appreciatively, lust colouring his voice. If this was all it took to get some moments with Rose without an audience, the Doctor was prepared to take part in this. "Can't wait to make you-" he intentionally bit the ending off. Donna tried her best to remain on her feet, overtaken with uncontrollable laughter.

"Oh. God," Martha muttered to herself. The changes in the Time Lord appeared to be even worse than she had primarily believed.

"_When this man and I are wed, I'm gonna keep 'im warm in bed_…" the blonde singsonged not so quietly, having no difficulties in playing the role Martha had so thoughtlessly ascribed to her.

The Doctor had to bite down his wish to burst out laughing, hurrying to pull Rose out of the console room with him.

"This…_ all _of this was very daring of you," the Gallifreyan noted with sincere admiration as soon as they were out of the room.

Rose grinned. "Did I have much of a choice? Martha seemed convinced I was a call-girl. Why ruin her fun so soon?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that. I don't know what had come on her."

"Pre-exam stress. Pfft… Don't worry. It was very… amusing."

"Yeah? I'm glad you did not jump on me in the console room. That would have been-"

"Embarrassing? Enticing?" she smirked, biting her lip. Had the Doctor been expecting something like this of her? Hoping for it, perhaps?

"Both," he mouthed, regretting it the next second.

Her unuttered question died on her lips with his next. "How are you coping, Rose?"

"Oh, you know…" The girl sighed heavily, her smile slipping. "Nobody has labelled me a prostitute before," Rose avoided his look. "That is-"

"You are not… that's all that matters, love."

The girl did not question his choice of words. They loved each other. It went without saying… Most of the time. The companion pressed her eyes shut, not wanting to recall some of the particularly dark sleepless lonely nights when one touch – hell, one _word_ from him could have fixed _everything_. But he had been so far away… Rose shook the heavy memories off.

"Yeah... Shouldn't you return to them?"

"Not without you. Besides, we're not exactly hiding from them," he hurried to add, the warmth in her heart stopping to spread further with these words.

Before Rose could respond, a familiar ginger approached them nonchalantly. "Don't ask me anything. The TARDIS and I might have made a pact of sorts. Must be quick." Her voice fell, once she saw a mixture of emotions on the blonde's face. "Are you willing to continue playing this charade, Rose?" Donna asked.

The fair-haired human nodded. With the one she loved by her side, she had nothing to lose. "Yes."

"Good. As long as you don't jump on me," the Doctor eyed her cautiously.

"We'll see about that," Rose teased. "Try and behave. By the way – the TARDIS is being cheeky and won't help me when I need her. I was going to ask you-"

"Cheeky? Oooh. How so?" the redhead could not help but wondered.

"She won't show me my room," the Tyler girl explained simply, a wry smile on her face.

"Oh! Oh! But this is marvellous!" Donna nearly squeaked, a wide grin now enlightening her features.

"What is?" the Doctor was confused.

"She approves of this _game_ we - _you _play! She even gives you a decent reason to share a bed!"

"Gives _you_ a reason to make fun of this situation, Donna," the Time Lord rolled his eyes.

"I don't mind," Rose gave them both her tongue-between-teeth grin. "You shouldn't, too. It's not that we haven't shared a bed before," she smirked.

The Doctor's breath hitched. Not because of her words, but because of the smile. _The_ smile. "Oh, Rose…"

Donna cleared her throat, uncomfortable. "Should I leave?"

He shrugged.

"I will. Don't worry. But there was one question I wanted to give you two all this time."

"Spill it, Donna." The Doctor felt he was ready for anything now.

"The 'when we are wed' thing has left me wondering-"

That was when Martha Jones came in, saving them from addressing the uncomfortable subject.

Donna exhaled. "Later."

Martha Jones did not waste time. "Hey again. Could you _please_ get me back to London? Right now?"

"Not _right now_, but soon, Martha."

"Soon? How soon?" she was frustrated and angry. At the circumstances. At the Doctor. At Donna. At the- whoever she was.

"The moment I fix the disturbances in your time line, you'll be free to go," he spoke coolly.

"I can't wait," Martha grimaced, too far gone in her emotion to stop hurtful words from leaving her mouth. "Since when are you into _this_? Have forgotten your _dearest_, I take it?"

The fair-haired companion gulped, but pretended to be busy in painting her lips, as a bright red lipstick had materialised in her hand moments ago. _Thank you. _Rose took the hint, using it as a distraction.

"Forgetting Rose is_ never_ an option," the Doctor shrugged, turning his eyes away from the blonde and her provokingly inviting vermillion lips. But he was used to fighting these urges. The Time Lord liked to think so, at least.

Judging from the look on Rose's face, she was having similar thoughts.

"Yes? Looking for consolation in someone else's arms is?" Martha could not bear facing the Doctor and met Donna's eyes instead. "Isn't this way too cliché?"

"This, Martha, shows you spend way too much time in front of the telly," Donna rolled her eyes at the girl, before throwing an apologetic glance at Rose. "Will be right back. Good luck."

Martha continued to stare at their once again joined hands, unable to face them.

"I will try to get you straight back to your exam, Martha. As soon as I can." His voice sounded dry as chalk.

"What about right now?" the dark-skinned companion was growing impatient. The tension was not going anywhere, but neither did her persistence.

The Doctor sighed. "I am _not_ risking it. Not when it means jeopardising two universes, if not more."

"Whatever," Martha rolled her eyes. "Have it your way, but I won't stop asking." She glared at him threateningly for good measure, but he did not seem to notice.

Not when that blonde was with him.

"I should go to bed," Rose muttered before the heavy silence suffocated them. "Haven't slept much lately," she cleared her throat, not once forgetting the persona she was playing.

He smiled at her softly, missing the goggle on Martha's face. "Do you remember where my room- er, bedroom - is?" the alien corrected himself, earning an approving wink from Rose.

"Yes! Do you think we could continue where we left off the last time, eh?" the voluptuous look she gave him made the Doctor's mouth dry. It took him more than a few seconds to remember this was but an act.

"Anything you want," he licked his lips hungrily, yet the way he said these words has almost made Martha Jones lose her breath.

_Anything…_


	4. Games

_A/N. Martha, oh, Martha… I am so sorry! (It will be fine. Martha will be fine. Bear with me.)_

* * *

><p><strong>Previously…<strong>

"_Anything you want," he licked his lips hungrily, yet the way he said these words has almost made Martha Jones lose her breath._

Anything…

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

**Games**

"I'll take anything you _can_ give me," Rose Tyler muttered, aware the Doctor's definition of _anything_ had a lot of exceptions. Some words were never to be uttered, some topics were never to be touched upon … She knew her playing a woman of easy virtue was something neither of them would have even thought about, had the situation not been like this. However, she chose not to push her luck any further. Even if that could have worked as a justifiable reason for her to say and do things somewhat more open in nature.

Having firmly decided to avoid the risk of tarnishing their relationship, the fair-haired human was forced to abandon the safe path at once. By none other than the Doctor, his lips suddenly dangerously close to her ear, as he has but breathed the hasty words to her, as if afraid this were the only opportunity left for him to do so.

"Do you really think there are things I _wouldn't_ give you if you asked?" The Time Lord was watching her intently, unmoving. Merely uttering these words to her – to _Rose_ - was something the Doctor himself was terrified of doing.

Instead of answering, Rose gave a barely noticeable turn of her head towards Martha. It was obvious the dark-skinned girl was still mutely following their conversation, although it was as quiet as it could get and the girl could not have understood a word.

"So, as I was saying," he cleared his throat, winking at the pink and yellow human. "_Allons-y_?"

Rose gave him a wide smile, albeit it did not reach her eyes. "Yes." She was unnaturally tense. Nothing felt real any more. Not with the playful smirk on the Doctor's lips. Not when her blood-red lips were where his eyes were fixed on more often than not. As if he-

The Doctor's room happened to be much further away than they had expected. Just far enough for the tension to die down somewhere in the middle of the way. It only took a smile from the Time Lord for Rose to shake her unease away.

Apparently, that was enough for the Doctor as well. He stopped. Not wanting to let go of the alien, so did Rose.

"Rose?" he spoke quietly.

"Yes?"

"Rose…"

"I'm here," she tapped his shoulder good-naturedly. "In the middle of a never-ending corridor I don't remember seeing."

"That's because it has never been here before," the Doctor smiled. The TARDIS and her antics… It was clear to him this was only because Rose was back.

"Rose-" he cleared his throat again. "Tell me what is disturbing you. Please." The distant look in her eyes could only mean something was wrong. Of course, there was the _call-girl_ thing…

Apparently, he was right.

"I don't even know how a proper prostitute should behave."

"Sad eyes, usually looking down in shame?"

"I see _Pretty Woman_ wasn't exactly educational," she smiled softly at him, remembering the day – and the said film they had decided on watching when Rose had asked the TARDIS for something sweet to watch – as if it were yesterday.

"Not really," the Doctor agreed. Not when his companion had gone all teary in multiple parts of it. "But I suppose it's for the better," he eyed her thoughtfully. "Unless, of course, you are up for making it even more challenging," the Gallifreyan teased her softly.

"More… what?" Rose did not dare to hope he meant more _intimate_. Even something as ordinary as kissing was a no-no for her Doctor. They were touching all the time, anyway.

"Er- something more… more _believable_."

_With you shying away from anything out of your comfort zone? _"More believable, as in- me being the call-girl, you being the client? How is this even supposed to work?" Rose forced a smile.

His eyes widened. "Rose!" However quiet, it sounded nearly deafening for both the Doctor and his blonde companion still in the TARDIS corridor. The alien knew they were too far away from the two girls to be heard, yet he mused uncomfortably.

Rose rolled her eyes at him. "Shush, Doctor. I am trying to play by the rules we were _given_. Would you please cooperate?"

The Doctor's eyes were unconsciously following the movement of her lips again.

The blonde caught his stare. "What?"

"You're beautiful, Rose," he said simply, careful not to allow any of his masterfully-hidden emotions slip through.

"Will you say it more often now that I am wearing this lipstick? Or do you have a secret liking of people wearing your clothes?" Rose smiled, afraid to take his words for granted.

His suit jacket was visibly too tight for her, but Rose said nothing on it. It was very likely going to stay one of the most personal experiences concerning the Doctor's things touching her bare flesh.

"If it's you wearing it," he shrugged, suddenly looking away, albeit allowing a playfully flirtatious tone colour his voice. "It's not often we get to share clothes like this."

The companion sent him an intense look, happy he turned back to meet at least the last glimpse of it. "Would you rather we did?" she breathed. "Doctor?"

"How do you think?" his voice was no louder.

Rose bit her lip, not in the mood for games, the situation complicated as it were.

The Doctor immediately saw her tension returning and proved he truly was the best one when it came to dropping the subject. "Should we continue looking for my room, or?"

Rose cleared her throat. "Yeah. The sooner this farce is over and done with, the better…"

"Is my room where the said kindergarten is, d' you reckon?" The Time Lord was visibly having much fun with all of this.

"Maybe," the girl shrugged. There were _other_ things she needed to know. The seriousness of her expression made the Doctor shudder.

"Go ahead, Rose," he encouraged. _I have spent way too much time in _not_ telling you things. _

Rose was not surprised about him being able to see when she needed to talk to him… but the fact the Doctor encouraged her to do so was a new thing. Wasn't _everything_?

She did not waste time, afraid he might change his mind any second. "They- Donna told me you were sad, because you thought I wouldn't be here to join you…"

He gave her a brisk nod.

The companion smiled at him sincerely. "I am here and am not leaving you, my Doctor," her voice fell the moment the Doctor sent her a warning glance, pressing their hands firmly together. Something was off. They were no longer alone.

A familiar voice addressed the Doctor. _Martha._

"Need some help? I see your friend has forgotten her manners. It's only obvious she would have to leave soon-"

Rose was watching the Doctor's face darken, but said nothing.

"No. What are _you_ doing here, in the first place?"

Martha took his question as a permission. "I realised you can't have gone far. It's not that your room is anywhere close, anyway," she smirked – _dared _to smirk at him! The Doctor glared at her, but allowed her to continue. The TARDIS and he would need to have a serious talk afterwards.

"I thought the sooner I caught you the quicker you got me back to where I need to be. Besides, the ship not showing you to your room immediately might mean she is against you bringing strangers on board. Of course, your call-girl might not understand the specifics, considering her probably non-existent education- no offense, _dear_-"

Rose blinked, trying to breathe as inaudibly as possible, knowing she should feel sorry for the disillusioned companion.

The Doctor exhaled, furious. This was it. "Martha." She tried to meet his eyes, but he looked at the other woman instead. "Are you okay?" the tenderness in his voice was self-explicatory.

"Getting used to this," Rose brushed it off.

"No offence taken," she glanced at Martha.

The Doctor was incredulous. "Yes?"

"Oh… This is a part of my daily life. Don't worry. All you need to do now is send her to her exam. We could talk afterwards, yeah?"

"And do all the other things?" he remembered the role he was supposed to be playing.

"That's what I'm getting paid for," the blonde breathed out, a seductive smile on her lips.

Martha found the strength to address the girl then. "Might I give you a personal question? Just one?"

Rose nodded.

"What is so special about you?"

"Nothing. I'd say I'm just an ordinary human woman," she shrugged.

The Doctor felt like banging his head to the wall. This was getting off-hand far too quickly, but he was determined to keep the ball rolling until told otherwise.

"Not ordinary. She's… she's a real expert in her field," the Doctor's eyes burned Rose's, who concentrated on keeping the treacherous blush off her face.

Rose glared at him, then at Martha. "It was a real pleasure talking to you, but I think you should leave us," she spoke in a business-like voice. "We have urgent things to attend to, he and I."

The dark-skinned companion did not need to be told twice.

* * *

><p>Martha was back in console room in minutes, her face pale as chalk.<p>

"What is it? Have you come upon them doing something?" Donna approached her innocently.

"No. Not yet. _Who_ is she?"

"How should_ I_ know?"

"_He _knows her _very _well, apparently."

The ginger eyed her. "That's only understandable."

"What?"

Donna stared at Martha, visibly scandalised. "In simple terms? It's none of our business!"

* * *

><p>"What possessiveness," Rose teased the Doctor moments after the girl was out of sight. "It seems she has a crush on you," she noted.<p>

"Probably," he agreed, noticing a door right next to them. "This must be ours," he smiled. "Er. Mine. Yep. This has to be the door to my room. Ladies first!"

Rose grinned and stepped inside.

The candles must have been the old girl's idea. The clothes… _her _clothes, neatly folded on the king-sized bed- Rose shook her head, incredulous. The Doctor barely ever slept. "Is this her idea, too?"

His wide eyes answered the question.

"Romantic, are you, TARDIS?" Rose muttered, not expecting for a reply. The situation was very disturbing, indeed.

The Doctor was too shocked to say anything.

The pink and yellow human noticed the said photos on the walls then.

"Oh! I wish I could have had some of these with me, when-" she touched some of those she could reach tenderly, smiling at the memories.

"Promise me one thing," the Doctor spoke huskily, having found his tongue at long last.

"Anything," Rose assured him.

"Don't leave me again?"

"Never intended to," she smiled.

The Doctor's lips softly brushed the top of her head. Rose shivered.

"What is it? Does this- does this make you uncomfortable?"

Rose shook her head. _Silly Doctor. _"No. It's getting a bit cold, that's all."

The alien shrugged. "The temperature is fixed by the TARDIS to suit my companions' needs, you know that." He has adjusted fairly easily, barely feeling the slight increase in warmth in the ship nowadays. "Or do you mean-"

The fair-haired human shrugged. "I could do with some sleep, in theory."

"Are you tired?" The Doctor was purposefully ignoring the ship's intended plan.

Rose did not think she could allow herself to fall asleep any time soon. "No. Do you know how much time a… well, a paid-for service of- sexual nature takes?"

The Doctor grinned. "As if I knew."

"Well… we could have a… a quickie… or…" Rose was red in shame, the candle-light only intensifying the effect.

"We _could_, he agreed. "But with you being the highest-class call-girl, known across the galaxies? I don't think a quick shag would do."

* * *

><p><em>AN. Talking does not mean anything. As of yet. :)_


	5. What She Wants

_A/N. Too much of everything. On purpose. You could always picture Reinette (or whoever) instead of Martha in your mind, though :) My promise of fixing everything still stands. ;)_

* * *

><p><strong>Previously…<strong>

"_Well… we could have a… a quickie… or…" Rose was red in shame, the candle-light only intensifying the effect._

"_We could, he agreed. "But with you being the highest-class call-girl, known across the galaxies? I don't think a quick shag would do."_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

**What She Wants**

Rose knew turning away from him was the best decision to make…

"Yeah?" she breathed out instead, cursing herself inwardly the next second. The Doctor's proximity and the dim light was clouding her reasoning, she decided. "Is this… is this what you want?"

The Doctor broke the mood at once, smirking. "Do I want _what_?"

Rose gaped. This sort of behaviour – at least in their situation – was only making things worse. _So much worse_. "If you could just… stop it," the girl rolled her eyes at him. It might be a game. An intended farce… but this coming from her Time Lord did not help her in the slightest.

"Anything you want," he reminded her softly, sensing her discomfort. Even if it was clear stopping was the last thing she – the last thing_ he_ desired…

Rose blinked. Was he being serious about the whole _whatever you want_ thing? The Doctor, of all people? This required too much consideration she could not allow herself to spend any time on. Not when there were more pressing things which needed to be fixed as soon as possible.

"What_ I_ want is not important at the moment."

He shook his head, as if having woken up from a dream. However, his voice remained barely above a whisper. "Does Martha's exam worry you this much?"

She shrugged, then nodded.

"Are you not angry at her?"

"No."

The Time Lord eyed her searchingly. This was so much like his Rose, caring about other people more than she did about herself.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep," she said, popping the 'p' just the way he usually did. The Doctor could almost believe her.

One way or another, this was a lost case. And he knew he'd rather lose to Rose Tyler than to anybody else.

"We'll have to deal with this first, then," he relented, a soft smile on his face. "But this would mean more pretending… Are you sure you are capable of this?"

"Absolutely." Rose smirked, unable to fully hide her relief at his reaction. "Are _you_ ready for it, though?" She did not want to make him more uncomfortable than they both already were, but he gave her a seductive grin. "I am ready if you are, oh lover," he winked at her.

She mimicked his expression. "Considering my being admired across the galaxies for my… er… _skills_…" the Londoner blushed furiously at the subject she herself had so thoughtlessly touched upon – _this is an act. Nothing else. _No matter what she might have been dreaming about – it was utterly impossible. Had to be. "…what is it you love the most?"

The grin on the Doctor's face widened, albeit it did not mask the surprise in his darkened eyes.

This was all it took for Rose to regret_ ever _starting this. "No! Wait. We shouldn't- musn't- Let's just forget it, yeah?"

He shook his head slightly. "No! It's not that… I_ need_ you to talk to me, Rose. We need to… talk over our next steps, considering the-

The companion eyed him hopefully then. It seemed the Doctor was ready to go as far as common sense allowed. Which did not mean anything else than their usual banter, really, albeit the topic was unusual. Rose could not hide an amused expression now on her face, giggling. "You mean sex?"

The Gallifreyan smirked, not flustered. "Indeed. Since when are you so open about these things?"

She stared. All right, this was getting out of hand way too quickly. It was only a question of time now when she would let go of this ridiculous pointless charade. "That much is expected from a _prostitute_," Rose's voice fell at the final word.

However, she cleared her throat the next instant, suddenly finding the atmosphere in the room suffocating. "As much as I love the girl's efforts… Let's just leave your room for now? I need to breathe!"

_Of course. _The Doctor nodded, taking in the sight around them for one more time. "I'm sorry. This was not my idea, Rose!" What if she were mad at him for this?

"I know, Doctor!" she smiled, suddenly changing her mind, as a thought hit her. "We can't just leave, though."

The Time Lord could not help but was amused. It was much better than the tension which used to surround them so often all these years ago. "No? Why's that, then?"

Rose was feeling terribly uncomfortable out of the sudden. "We- we should give them some proof we were-"

"Doing _things_."

"Well, yeah… but if this idea disturbs you as much as it disturbs me, we can always-" Rose could swear the times she felt blush colour her cheeks this day were more intense and frequent than ever. She might have blushed once or twice _a week_ in her ordinary _boring_ everyday life in the Powell Estates, particularly when talking with Shareen or other girls... But this was something entirely different. _Good_ different.

"Oh, not at all," the Gallifreyan assured her, his expression suddenly playful. "What do you want me to do?"

_Anything you want_ was ringing in her ears, but Rose only shrugged uneasily. How much was _too _much?

The Doctor did not waste time on trivialities, coming up with an idea in an instant. A_ brilliant _idea, at that. Or so he thought. "Leaving a mark on your neck should be obvious enough, I think? Nothing too intimate?"

Before Rose could fully register his words, least of all respond, she felt his cool lips and equally cool tongue drawing ornaments on her heated skin. It was too unexpected and sudden, having the Doctor expertly finishing his task with a satisfied smirk on his lips, if slightly more deep in colour.

The girl gasped for air, as the Doctor stepped away from her, clearly content with his _work_.

She glared at him. "This is all so _wrong_," Rose breathed, feeling her eyes water. This should not have happened. Not like this.

"Is it, _love_?"

The blonde groaned in frustration. Was he really so- "You should have- should have at least asked me first!"

"I am sorry! Has this been too much?"

Rose stared at him, but did not answer directly. "Let's just go? Or would you like to tear some buttons off your suit jacket for a better effect first?" her words were soaked with sarcasm.

"Off _my_ suit jacket? The one you're wearing? Why would you-"

_Oh._ It was his turn to blush at his own foolishness. Rose was angry at him. Angry and (very possibly) hurt… Just what he had been trying to avoid, always…

_Damn it._ Of course, it_ had_ to be Rose. This girl was making him forget his reason. If this were Jackie, he'd already been slapped into his next regeneration.

Not that he wanted this. To make his pink and yellow human go through this again? _Never._

_Never say 'never ever'_. Well, he didn't! Not exactly, besides, he was _never ever_ going to let Rose out of his sight again. To hell with superstitions. If only he could be as good with talking about other things…

"We should really be back by now," Rose muttered.

"Not if-"

"You need to get Martha back to her exam," she reminded. At least the girl was not there now to see her badly-hidden frustration.

As holding hands was not an option at this moment (not for Rose), they were rushing back to the console room in tense silence. The Tyler girl realised she would make good use of her room now. Be it only to stay alone for a few moments…

However, the Doctor suddenly came to a stop.

"Rose, wait, I-"

She stopped, unable not to. "I _am_ waiting, see?" she spoke bitterly, avoiding his eyes.

He spoke, breathless. "I am so sorry about this, Rose! We could end this here and now. I could remove the- the mark off your _deliciously enticing_ neck with my sonic in no time, and all would be _good _again between us! Deal?"

Rose smiled, grabbing his hand happily. "Nope."

The question in his eyes made her giggle. "If coming up with a believable – kind of - story was all it took to have you attack me with such fervour- oh."

"You're not mad at me?"

"It depends," she looked over him seductively, tearing the first button of his suit jacket self-consciously. She was going to sew it back later, he knew, as it was safely put in his pocket right after. After… He gulped. Why was she doing this to him?

"Are you… are you sure about this?" He was not upset about her ruining his cherished clothing – he had dozens more identical ones, anyway-

The Doctor gulped, unable to tear his eyes off her. First her lips, now her barely covered chest- no, this was still covered well enough. Almost too well…

"Enjoying this?" she breathed, almost absentmindedly getting rid of another of his suit jacket buttons. This one, she allowed to fall onto the floor. The Doctor did not care.

"Doctor."

He could not speak, his mouth agape.

"I am _so _sorry," she whispered. "But someone has to-"

"Rose. Oh. Rose." The Doctor did not ask anything. "Make me stop while you can."

"If this means you are about to kiss me… go on. We must do _something_, after all."

This made the Doctor regain some of his remaining reason. "Why are you doing this, exactly?"

"Why do you think?" Rose seemed perfectly sensible, and yet… Rose cleared her throat. "Anyway. You do realise we can't tell Martha who I am until she gets to finish her final exam?"

"I am trying!" he almost shouted at her. If his pink and yellow girl only knew how much it took for him not to snog her senseless here and now… Actually, he was just about to- Having these lips and these almost-uncovered breasts so unbelievably, _unjustifiably_ close-

Martha's mocking voice broke the mood at once. What, how was she even here?

"Here, here. The drama finally begins? What have you told him?" Martha glared at Rose. "That you're pregnant with his baby?"

The Doctor returned the glare at the dark-skinned human. "Too much telly, as Donna would say."

"Too much of unjustified jealousy," the said ginger noted from a distance. Before the Doctor could give her the expected question, Donna answered it. "Knew I couldn't leave you two alone with her. Sorry, Martha."

"He's working on getting you back," Rose smiled at Martha soothingly, only getting a stare back. Who was she to even address her, in the first place?

"I think the only place he's working with is between your legs," she spat.

Donna was about to brutally get Martha out of their sight, but Rose stopped her. "Let her stay. It's always interesting to hear what the Doctor's companions think of me." After all, he chooses them for a reason!" Only then did Rose glance at him. He saw it all. The pain. The shock. Disbelief. However, she was grinning at her, only maddening Martha further. "Is this what this really is? The Doctor, his companion and his unreasonably adored prostitute are all against me now? As if I wanted to be torn out of my exam just when-"

The Doctor was about to lose control any second now. Gesturing for Donna to somehow lead Martha out, she breathed into his ear, even if her words sounded just a bit too tearful. "I can take this. So can you. What if we get rid of more of these tiny useless things on your suit jacket?"

This was when his lips were on hers.

* * *

><p><em>AN. This new for me. Some support would do wonders! Thank you :)_


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